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Hatake Kakashi had already done so much for his village.
Gods know the emotional and psychological toll all those years of service to Konoha had done to him. But despite this (and his popular yet inaccurate reputation of being laidback), work was all he had known all his life. And even when he had finally stepped down from leading the village, he was willing to do so much more.
But his wife had forced him to step away altogether from shinobi-hood. Something about having "too many scars" that he should "spend the rest of your life healing." Oh, also something about being too old but he didn't want to relive that argument (he could still feel the surface of the table she had flipped hitting him in the nose).
The first few months of his retirement had been difficult. There wasn't much to do around the house (not when the one thing he wanted to do was working and getting pulled left and right to help the Nanadaime run the village) so he constantly found himself wandering around the village... and "accidentally" walking into important meetings sometimes quite often.
After Naruto had snitched him out to his lovely wife of two years, a livid Haruno Sakura came home that night and convinced him to realign all the energy he had from helping run the village to actually helping out with some chores at home. At first, Kakashi had taken the advice just so Sakura couldn't say he didn't.
It didn't take any more convincing for him to actually want to do the house chores, he realized. There was just something therapeutic about folding shirts with symmetrical precision (in contrast to the haphazard job his wife had to settle for since she barely had time to get anything done in between work and catching up on some sleep). He also liked how washing dishes made for a good time to meditate.
The best part, however, about doing the housework was the look on his wife's face when she came home to a clean house after a long day at work. Apparently, it would not kill her to smile at him despite being on her feet for nearly 12 hours. And she definitely was a lot more pleasant in the morning when she didn't wake up to a massive heap of laundry that needed to be washed.
Since then, Kakashi discovered a new way to service his village—by being a good husband... or wife. Whatever it was they wanted to call him.
Because being a good spouse by doing everything needed to be done in their house meant Sakura didn't have to worry about any more work waiting for when she got home. It was a small but it was a burden lifted nonetheless. Doing the chores meant Sakura could get as much rest as she needed so she could function effectively the next day.
Yes, he didn't need to slit someone's throat to still be useful to the village. All he had to do was take care of his wife...
...who apparently did not come home last night.
Hey, Kash! You're probably asleep by the time I'm calling. i'm sorry, I know I said I'd be home late... I just didn't know how late. Anyway, Shikamaru and I are at Naruto's office and it looks like we'll be here all night. I'll try to slip out some time between breakfast and lunch, okay? I love you. Sleep well and dream wet.
Ew, what the fu—
The message had been cut off before Naruto could finish shouting in the background.
Today was a good day to go out, Kakashi thought. He'd been cooped up at home for the last few days and now would be a good time to get a bit of fresh air... and maybe see a few other faces other than his wife's and their noisy neighbor who had the audacity to complain whenever the ex-Hokage was vacuuming.
Cooking had never been Kakashi's favorite thing to do at home (because of the mess he had to clean up afterwards) but it was something he had learned to do for days like these. After quickly whipping up an egg salad, he pulled out a couple of bread slices to build a sandwich to pack with some nuts and fruits.
Unfortunately, they were out of plums so he prayed that the blueberries he placed in their stead would suffice.
After a quick bath, he put on the first navy sweater he could pull out and the pants to match and he was well on his way to personally deliver the lunch (because it was a quarter to 9 a.m. and they had probably already ordered in some breakfast) he prepared and wrapped for Sakura.
Back when he had been Hokage, the staff at the tower usually didn't see him up and about until a little before 11 in the morning so Kakashi showing up an hour before breakfast buffets around the village ended was certainly odd... even though this wasn't the first time he'd been here for an early food—and sometimes change of clothes—delivery.
One of the new guards certainly eyed him with some intrigue but it was probably more about the tiny box he was carrying than it was about his uncharacteristic earliness.
It's been over a year since he had surrendered his Hokage robes (most of them, anyway), but it was still strange to Kakashi to be knocking on the office that had once been his. Weirder still was how commanding his former student's voice was when he heard Naruto say come in from the other side of the wall.
There was nothing but the smell of coffee that filled the room. Literally. Not even a hint of pastries or any snack to go with it. Had they been running on nothing but caffeine the entire night?
In the middle of the room, behind the desk he once occupied, sat Naruto. Sunken baby blues looking up at him expectantly. Before his desk were two armchairs—one occupied by Nara Shikamaru, whose patented ponytail looked a little tired today. Across the Hokage's aid was an empty seat.
Although, judging by the neatly stacked folders on that side of the desk, he was pretty sure he knew the occupant of that seat.
"Hey, Kakashi-san," greeted Naruto, beaming brightly despite the deep circles under his eyes.
His assistant briefly turned to him and acknowledged him with a stiff wave before going back to poring over the pages of whatever the hell it was that kept them up all night.
"Good morning," Kakashi said as he closed the door behind him. "Sakura still around?"
The blond nodded. "Mm-hmm. Just had to run to the bathroom. Is that for her?"
"Yes, it is. Where should I leave it?"
"She should be back any minute now," Naruto said. "Why don't you just wait for her? She wasn't in the best mood when I asked her to help us with these files. Hopefully, she'll be a lot more pleasant once she sees her husband."
Kakashi crossed the room and temporarily claimed the empty armchair at the desk, setting the bento on his lap as he eyed the folders and papers within his line of sight. While he was busy trying to figure out what it was that kept his wife from coming home to him, the Hokage was busy trying to put his finger on what it was that smelled so good.
"What did you make her?" Naruto asked, finally giving up.
The Copy Nin looked to the neatly wrapped box on his lap. "Just an egg salad sandwich, some nuts, and blueberries."
"Great, now I want an egg salad sandwich," sighed the Hokage's aid.
"Ne, how come you don't make me a bento box when I work 'til the morning?" The exaggerated pout on his former student's face made it clear that he asked it in jest.
Shikamaru raised a brow at the blond. "Don't you have a wife?"
"When you start buying me shiny things, then you can have a bento," came Kakashi's reply.
The retired Hokage was quick to catch the smirk on the raven's lips before he stifled a chortle and shook his head.
"Something funny, Nara?" he asked.
Shikamaru shook his head. "Nah. Just trying to wrap my head around the former Hokage being forced in the kitchen while his wife goes out to help this guy run a village and provide a living."
"Shouldn't be a hard concept to grasp these days," chuckled Kakashi. "Besides, I do know she made more money than I did before I even retired."
"You were the Hokage. How was that possible?" the raven pressed. "And doesn't it feel weird?"
The Copy Nin shrugged. "Why would it? I was literally the one who wrote and signed the order for her raise."
The Hokage's aid's eyes wandered back to the files he had spent the last two minutes staring at. "Mah, I just don't think I can ever come home knowing for a fact that my wife can provide a better living than I do."
"Now, now, Shikamaru," a feminine voice from the doorway chimed in. "What do you think Temari would say if I told her you said that?"
The raven shot her a pointed look. "Do me a favor: Don't."
The pinkette turned away from them to shut the door but not before Kakashi caught her tired eyes rolling at Shikamaru's request. He met her halfway and they stood in the middle of the room as he handed her the bento box he'd prepared for her half an hour ago.
"You didn't have to do this," said Sakura, accepting his offer with both hands and an appreciative smile lighting up her face despite her obvious fatigue. "I was going to come home for lunch and a quick nap before I went back to take care of some things at the hospital."
The former Hokage waved a dismissive hand. "If you're coming home just to have lunch with me, you don't have to. I'm fine. It's probably more convenient for you to eat and take a nap here than walk home and then all the way back to the hospital, anyway."
The pinkette threw her arms around her husband. "I love you. You're the best."
"Pretty sure you could do better but I'm not gonna complain," he chuckled, snaking one arm around her waist to give her a quick squeeze while Shikamaru and Naruto pretended to read at the desk.
When they finally pulled away from one another, Sakura brought the bento to her nose.
"This smells great," she said, the sparkle finally returning to eyes dulled with exhaustion at the prospect of food. "I can't wait to eat it later!"
"Please don't forget to bring the container home because that thing is a pain to wash when the food starts to smell," sighed Kakashi. "Also, I hope you're not craving plums because we're all out."
Sakura pouted for two good seconds before she dug around in her back pocket with her free hand.
"Here," she said, handing him a couple thousand Ryo. "Why don't you stop by the market to buy whatever it is we need at home? I threw in a little extra so you can buy yourself something pretty," she said just a bit louder for Shikamaru to hear. "Or kinky. Whatever keeps you happy until I come home."
"If I buy something kinky, can I use it on you tonight?"
"It's been a long week," she sighed before expression brightened once more. "Of course, you can!"
"Hello?" Naruto called out from the other end of the room. "Can you two not do this in my office?"
Hatake Kakashi had already done so much for his village. But there was still so much he wanted to do for his home. And he would continue to be of service to Konoha by being a good husband to Haruno Sakura.